Shloka 26
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament and Kṛṣṇa’s Rudra-Cosmogony Explanation (सौप्तिक पर्व, अध्याय १७)
'पितामह! मैंने जलमें तपस्या करके प्रजाके लिये अन्न प्राप्त किया है; वे अन्नरूप ओषधियाँ प्रजाओंके ही समान निरन्तर विभिन्न अवस्थाओंमें परिणत होती रहेंगी” ।।
pitāmaha! mayā jalē tapasā kṛtvā prajābhyaḥ kṛtē annaṃ prāptaṃ; tē annarūpā oṣadhayaḥ prajānām iva nityam vividhāvasthāsu pariṇatā bhaviṣyanti. evam uktvā sa sakrōdhō jagāma vimanā bhavaḥ; girēḥ muñjavataḥ pādaṃ tapastaptuṃ mahātapāḥ.
“Wahai Datuk Agung (Grandsire)! Dengan bertapa di dalam air, aku telah memperoleh makanan demi makhluk hidup. Herba-herba itu, yang menjelma sebagai santapan, akan terus-menerus berubah ke dalam pelbagai keadaan, sebagaimana makhluk sendiri sentiasa mengalami perubahan.” Setelah berkata demikian, Bhava (Śiva)—amarahnya menyala dan hatinya muram—pun berangkat. Sang pertapa agung itu menuju ke kaki Gunung Muñjavat untuk meneruskan tapa.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage links ascetic discipline (tapas) with the welfare of beings: through austerity, sustenance (anna) arises as herbs that continually transform to meet the changing conditions of life. It also cautions that even great beings may act under anger, yet redirect that energy into further spiritual practice.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Bhava (Śiva) declares he has obtained food for creatures through water-austerity, describing herbs as nourishment that keeps transforming. After speaking, Śiva—angry and inwardly unsettled—leaves and goes to the foothills of Mount Muñjavat to perform further tapas.